I personally like the Zeiss Victory series very much. And I can personally recommend the Victory HT 1.1x4. http://www.eurooptic.com/zeiss-victory-ht-riflescopes.aspx With its field of view and clarity you can shoot just as quickly up close as with the aimpoint and 4 power gives you reach out to 250 yards with ease. The optics are also so good that even the small objective provides remarkable low light capability. My other favorite scope for a .375 class rifle is the Swarovski Z6 1x6 http://www.eurooptic.com/swarovski-z6-rifle-scopes.aspx . Optically, it is virtually everything that a Zeiss Victory is with a bit higher range of magnification. Both work superbly on a .375.

“We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.”

Hi Dolf;
I had a Trijicon 1-4 x 24 with 30mm tube and the green triangle on a post mounted on my 375 and at 1x it is really just like a red dot except it is a little green triangle. It seems to be very good quality glass and is terrific to look through, and has illumination without batteries, which really sets it apart. Trijicon is also supposed to be noted for durability.

However, as I was going for plains game I wanted a smaller aiming point than that triangle and more power for my aging eyes. So swapped it out for a Leuplod VX6 in 2-12, also a 30mm tube. This is way better glass than most would expect and I think on par with Swarovski and Zeiss. It has a little red illuminated dot but does take a battery.. Has a wide range of brightness and shuts itself off after a few minutes of sitting still, but is right back on automatically as soon as you pick it up or move it.

The scope is also available in a 1-6 and should be considered along with the above mentioned ones.

I am tempted to put the Trijicon back on for DG. If I was being charged at close quarters, that scope is brilliant on 1x with both eyes open. But the Leupold on 2x is not bad either.

Currantly it has a aimpoint red dot on it which works well for dangerous game and heavy bushveld conditions.

I would like to mount a scope to allow me to shoot game at a distance other than the aimpoint can offer accuratly.

I am looking into a zeiss or schmit&bennder.

Can any one offer more advice and there opinions

Click to expand...

Sorry dolf, I am a Leupold fan and all my rifles sport them.

May I suggest the VX-3 1.75-6X32?
6 power for the longer PG shots, low enough power for a charge situation.
Leupold scopes have the most generous eye relief on the market. Hence greatly reducing the chance of getting "weatherby eyebrow" when a quick rushed/ snap shot has to be taken.

I bought my first Leupold in 1985, a fixed 6X40. It has been mounted on dozens of rifles over the years from Remington 541-S rimfire to Mauser .30/06. It has seen very hot and dusty Australian outback days. It has been dropped from the back of a ute. It even went diving once.It has just been taken off my 8mm Rem Mag( replaced by a VX-R Leopold) and now sits in the safe cause it doesn't have a home to sit on yet, AND it has never missed a beat and is still crystal clear to look through. I was thinking about sending back to the factory for a strip and clean refurbishment but it honestly doesn't need it.

I agree on those Leupolds. Great eye relief and value for the money with something in every budget. For dedicated DG up to 4x I really do like the Trijicon 1-4, fast acquisition, dual light source, tough and durable . But to get the 1-6x, admittedly the Swaro is really great, but for closer to the $1000 mark the VX6 Leupold is a great option and very high quality. For the money difference I will stay with Leupold in that 1-6 illuminated reticle category.

So a question for you guys, If 1.75 to 6 is good enough... How about the VXR in a 2-7? Low priced, I think VX3 quality glass, lighted reticle, 30mm tube and still a pretty small/compact unit. Is 2x low enough for lion and Buffalo? I can see myself doing lion, buffalo, leopard, hippo, and crock someday with my 375 H&H.. And my wife may do the same with her 375 Ruger. And honestly for real close in she might like to use open sights anyway? So I think I'm going to order the Alaskan QD mounts in 30mm for her Ruger Guide Gun.

As I understand it, we probably want at least 6x for Hippo and Croc. And deffinately want the lighted reticle for leopard and probably for a big black buff.

And we still want flexibility to use these guns on plains game. And I feel that with the right loads we can go out to 300 yards if need be with those 375's, with the proper rest and optics. So I have the VX6 in 2-12 on my gun but so far at least still own that 1-4 trijicon if I want to put it on and go down to the 1x.

So are we best off with a 1-6 or a 2-12 on the wifes gun? Assuming lighted reticle on either.

Namibia (1), South Africa (3) & USA (most Western States, including AK & HI). Too bad spear fishing is not called "fish hunting" or, I could add a few extra countries (couldn't resist weaving that in somehow, sorry).

Being a minimalist an all, I have had excellent results with regular old fashioned 4x scopes, with nothing by crosswires (cross hairs) in them, (no extra junk to look at in there when trying to shoot an animal) on many of my hunting rifles, in various calibers, including the .375 H&H (greatest hunting cartridge ever designed).
Zeiss has made some very excellent 4x scopes but currently I believe they have fallen prey to the latest Techno-Trends ("many moving parts / some even with battery operated lights", etc., etc).
The older/simpler 4x are however sometimes available for sale in used but excellent condition.
Most of my scopes have been purchased 2nd hand over my lifetime.
Other brands of 4x scopes have also served me well, Leupold, Weaver and Kahles.
The old Weaver scopes I will add have a reputation of fogging in wet weather and I do not doubt that but, I never hunted with one in wet weather.
I like my scopes in sturdy rings, situated down as close over the bore as possible, for speed of aiming when some animal suddenly bolts from cover at close range, yet 4x is plenty of magnification for a 300 yd/300 meter shot, from a steady rest.
Out.

I used a Swaro 1.7-10 x 42 Z6 (first gen) on my 375HH. That was my only rifle when I hunted plains game, Leopard, Buffalo and Hippo (and Baboon) in Zim in 2013. Used it low power for Buffalo, medium power for Leopard (and the illuminated reticle was PRICELESS for that twilight shot) and high power for some plains game and even 250 yard uphill shot at a baboon.

You have probably already decided on a scope and bought it but I thought I would chime in with some opinions on scopes I have used or owned.

If you have bought one already I'm curius as to what you choose and what you think of it!

Swaro z6i gen 2, 1-6x24 and 1.7-10x42.
Very nice scopes but in my opinion not really worth the extra cash vs the other high end scopes. Super clear glass and useful zoom ratio, reticles are very nice and the illumination works very well both day and nighttime.

Zeiss Victory V8 1.8-14x50
A bit heavier and a 40mm scope, can be hard to get rings for it.
Expensive but a very nice zoom ratio to use for almost anything, very good at low light conditions and a very clear glass.

Zeiss HT 1.5-6x42
Extremely clear glass, light and the illuminated reticle is very clear both for daytime and nighttime shooting. One of my favourites.

Leica Magnus 1-6.3x24 and 1.5-10x42
One of the worlds best fov scopes, clear glass and nice illumination. Both scopes are easily the equal to or even surpasses their more expensive cousins from Zeiss and Swarovski. The TT version is very nice since you can zero the scope for different types of ammo with the rings that you get with the scopes. My personal current favourite.